# South American prison escapes and transfers

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/south-american-prison-escapes-and-transfers
> Updated: 2026-10-27T13:08:36.000Z. Sources: 15. Developments: 3.

In mid-October, two detainees escaped from the Gendarmería Nacional Escuadrón N° 21 in Jujuy, Argentina, by squeezing through a gap in a cell door. Security footage indicated an inmate used a white substance, such as soap, to lubricate his body. The fugitives crossed the border into Villazón, Bolivia, where they were intercepted and recaptured by the Unidad Policial de Acción y Reacción (UPAR Delta) approximately ten hours later.

By late October, separate incidents occurred in Peru and Paraguay. In Peru, seven high-risk inmates, including members of the ‘La Confederación’ criminal organization, were transferred from Lima’s Ancón 1 penitentiary to the high-altitude Challapalca prison in Tacna following an intelligence operation that uncovered drugs, weapons, and communication devices.

In Paraguay, the escape of two inmates—Ever Alejandro Ozuna López, accused of drug trafficking, and Robert Arsenio Merlo Villalba, accused of aggravated robbery—from the Martín Mendoza Penitentiary in Emboscada has led to significant legal action. The fugitives escaped by breaking window bars and scaling walls using makeshift ropes made from sheets and blankets. 

Investigations by the Public Ministry and the Ministry of Justice revealed security failures, including the absence of surveillance personnel and a failure to conduct required hourly perimeter checks. Four guards—Pedro Antonio Balbuena Gayoso, Leandro David Guzmán Maidana, Héctor Enrique Ozuna Giménez, and Carlos Martín Agüero Cáceres—were arrested. Two of these guards were found in possession of the director’s mobile phone. Consequently, former prison director Pablo Abel González Apuril has been detained, and Minister of Justice Rodrigo Nicora has ordered an immediate intervention of the facility.

## Claims

- Pablo Abel González Apuril, former director of the Martín Mendoza Penitentiary, has been detained. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The escape involved cutting window bars and using ropes made from sheets and blankets. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Four prison guards were arrested in connection with the incident. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Guards Héctor Enrique Ozuna Giménez and Carlos Martín Agüero Cáceres were found with the director's cell phone. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Two inmates, Éver Alejandro Ozuna López and Robert Arsenio Merlo Villalba, escaped from Module 7. (single source)
- Guards Pedro Antonio Balbuena Gayoso and Leandro David Guzmán Maidana were detained for irregularly removing a bag containing electronics. (single source)
- Security failures included a lack of surveillance personnel and failure to perform hourly perimeter checks. (single source)
- The escaped inmates have criminal records including homicide and contract killings. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-27: Paraguay prison director detained after high-security inmate escape

Paraguay's former director of the Martín Mendoza prison and four guards have been detained following the escape of two high-security inmates in Emboscada.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/paraguay-prison-director-detained-after-high-security-inmate-escape

### 2026-10-24: Emboscada prison escape leads to detention of four guards

Four prison guards in Emboscada, Paraguay, were arrested after two inmates escaped the Martín Mendoza penitentiary. An investigation into potential complicity and seized electronics is ongoing.

11 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/high-security-prisoners-transferred-in-peru-and-escaped-in-paraguay

### 2026-10-13: Prisoners escape Jujuy facility and are recaptured in Bolivia

Two prisoners escaped a Gendarmería facility in Jujuy, Argentina, by sliding through a narrow cell gap, but were recaptured in Villazón, Bolivia, following a joint security operation.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/prisoners-escape-jujuy-facility-and-are-recaptured-in-bolivia

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Cite as: South American prison escapes and transfers. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/south-american-prison-escapes-and-transfers